CHAPTER 24

Sara and Robinho were going back to sunny Spain in two days and having seen the snow that had painted the town white, I didn't blame them. As a sort of 'Adios' gesture, Bobby took it upon himself to host his first sleepover at our house after rudely refusing to go over to sleep at Angelo's house because of the distaste he had in the colour co-ordination or lack of in Robinho's room - the same room where he had his little nightmare about the 'potato bear'.

Of course me, the ever socially-deficient eighteen year old on the pathway of becoming the most perfect help anyone could hire without charge was left in charge to take care of the boys. Honestly, I deserved some type of award or something on the scales of Mother Teresa.

Speaking of mothers, my mother had gone to do a night-shift and my dad had been gone since the day before after been given the opportunity by Eduardo to shadow him during one of his business meetings in a different state, so he was not due to fly back until the next day.

"Lucy, someone's at the door!" I heard my brother say excitedly as he paced over to the main entrance after hearing the doorbell sound.

"Check before you open-"

Before I could finish my sentence I let out a loud sneeze. Snot bubbles formed, and as I blew into the tissue, I was glad that there hadn't been been anyone to witness my embarrassment.

"Check before you open the door Bobby!"

It was my dad's fault that I had a cold, he'd made me come out the house at any ungodly time and it didn't help that I slipped twice.

"It's Julian," stated my brother after taking a peek from the window before opening the door.

Not long after, Bobby's other friend Ryan came and then when I heard the next knock on the door, my heart race picked up. I must have grown some wings because I flew for the door which undoubtedly gained raised eyebrows from the three boys. Exhaling a short quick breath, I opened the door and my smile fell flat on my face in an instant.

"Aww, not the Henriquez you were hoping to see, chica?"

Sure enough it wasn't the Henriquez I was hoping to see but of course I wasn't going to admit that. "Of course I was hoping to see you, Sara."

It was pretty comical to watch both Robinho and Sara roll their eyes and sigh simultaneously at my horrible lying skills.

"My son has been real grumpy for the past few days," she informed me before her coffee coloured eyes stared at me intently, "and if my memory is not failing me, he's been that way ever since the New Years Party."

"Oh."

It was clear by the way she was watching me that she thought I was a contributing factor to her son's mood change. Despite the evil glares Angelo sent my way, he'd avoided me for most of the night and when we did have an encounter it happened to be with a condom between us.

Something had changed for him and I ever since the car ride to his house. I desperately wanted to fix it but I feared it was too late. I didn't even know what exactly there was to fix - it just felt that even when he was present his presence was absent.

Sara's unladylike snigger broke off my thought circuit. "I'm going to go to my

brother-in-law's house and stay with his wife to keep her company for the night," then coming forward to embrace me tightly, she said, "chica, I'll miss you, take care of my boy."

I couldn't help but gape at her as she let go of me - 'take care of my boy'? She had been the one to tell her son in front of a supermarket, no less that he was old enough to take care of himself, so I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to that Sara.

Mother and son had their little kiss bye before Sara retreated back to her car. "Chica, you should come to Madrid sometime!"

And before I could respond the crazy Spanish woman zoomed off. I guided Robinho into the house as I could feel my toes slowly turning to ice. Upon entering, Robinho didn't need to be told before he made himself at home wandering over to where Bobby&Co. were all huddled together and I noticed they were whispering in low voices, whilst taking quick, sly glances at me, like they were Geisha girls or something.

Leaving them alone, to play Chinese Whispers or whatever they were doing, I wandered off to the kitchen, opening the pizza boxes that I had ordered earlier on since I was in no way, shape or form in the mood to cook. As I was dividing the pizzas into equal slices, I heard the several footsteps of the boys treading in the kitchen. Lifting my head up slowly to fully look at them, I became alerted by the mysterious shape protruding from their tummies and the looks they were giving me was edging on disturbing.

Not wanting them to be aware that they had a big girl like me shook, I cleared my throat, hoping that my mum's authoritative voice would come through.

"Boys, dinner would be ready in a shortwh-"

I had sneezed again, a clear detriment to my plan of being in charge.

"Luciana, you've got a cold," scrutinised Bobby, obviously the nucleus of the group.

The rest of them murmured their agreement as they continued to look at me like I was growing three heads and turning green. It was cute to know that the boys were concerned for me, but I didn't want them to get worried even though I was feeling light headed and bleurgh.

"Guys, I'm okay, I just have a little cold that's all," I answered beaming the best

convincing smile in their eight-year old faces but unfortunately that didn't do the trick.

"I think you need to get yourself checked up, Miss Luciana," I heard Ryan the cute blonde headed boy say in a sweet, charming voice.

"Yes, get yourself checked, sister."

"Erm...excuse me, but I think you need to check your tone, brother," I answered back not liking Bobby's smart-ass response.

Not even pretending to have paid attention to what I said, he turned around facing the boys. "Boys, it's time to unleash your weapons."

My brother had obviously been watching too many action-hero movies. One by one, I watched shocked as they revealed their 'weapons' from beneath their shirts; they came in the shapes of ketchup and mayonnaise bottles, a big chunk of cheese and Robinho had like a whole bag of jelly beans opened all ready for major destruction.

I stared at them silently, not sure if I was supposed to take them seriously or not but unable to hold it any longer I started laughing nearly choking on my giggles, well that was until I observed how they slowly advanced towards me and they all had serious gazes fixed on me.

"Boys," I called warily as I backed further and further away from them, "violence is not the way forward."

"Luciana, you have one last chance to surrender before we attack, are you willing to get checked up?" asked Robinho with strong determination in his voice.

"I don't ne-OW!"

A bunch of skittles hit several parts on my face, and then milliseconds later I felt a cold, gooey substance on my chest. Looking down I saw a mix of red and egg-white patches, which was closely followed by the cheese hitting my lower parts quite painfully.

I was getting bullied in my own home, how marvellous.

"Oh my gosh boys, sto-", Bobby had managed to squirt ketchup into my mouth whilst I was talking and now I was coughing out the tomato concentration onto the kitchen floor as I heard the boys congratulate my evil brother on his 'nice shot.'

Wiping the sauce from the side of my mouth I attempted to get control of the situation. "Boys, I'm being serious, you really need to-"

"We'll stop when you surrender," bargained Robhino.

"Never!"

There was no way four little chipmunks could fight off a tigress like me.

"Well boys, the target is not accepting defeat, you know what to do."

Before Bobby finished his sentence they fired at me once more, and once more is all I could take.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

A devious smile spread across Bobby's face as he discontinued his attacks, satisfied with my announcement. "Now that wasn't so hard was it, Lucy?"

Turning around to face the boys, he patted each one on the back. "Job well done, boys. Now escort the target to Phase 1."

Was this a joke? I wondere to myself as Ryan and Julian immediately stood by my left and right, taking hold of each of my hands whilst Robinho stayed at my back and Bobby took front position leading everyone to the sitting room.

"Now, I need you to lie down on this couch whilst we do some medical tests," instructed Bobby whilst passing some kitchen paper to clean my shirt.

"Why do I need to lie down?"

"Do as I say or you will face the consequences."

I wondered to myself if it was normal for eight year olds to know big words like 'consequence' and use them in the right context or my brother was just advanced for his age. I really did think Bobby and his little crew were high on something like candy, but I didn't want to test their patience so I obeyed.

Straining my neck up to see what the foursomes were up to, I observed Ryan and Bobby put on white gloves and then Julian opened up some sort of First Aid kit. Where would they even get First Aid kits from?

"I'm going to check your heartbeat so keep still."

I burst out laughing when I realised that Bobby was going to use a plastic stethoscope to check for my heartbeat and what made it even funnier was the serious look on his face as he placed the small buds into his ears and the diaphragm on my belly, like my heart was that low. When he was done, Ryan whipped out his sticker labelled thermometer, the measurements ranged from Chilly Cold, Cold, Warm, Fever, and then lifting up my arm he placed it right up my armpits and took it out three seconds later.

"Bobby she's really heating up, we're going to need the doctor to come in."

At that point when Ryan gave his 'medical feedback' to my brother, I didn't know if I was supposed to laugh, because the whole thing was crazy to me.

"Rob, call the doc," ordered Bobby.

With one button of his phone, which was surprisingly a real phone (what was an eight year old doing with a phone?) Robinho waited for the imaginary doctor to pick up on the other end.

"Jello, we have an emergency."

A look of terror struck my face as I realised the doctor wasn't imaginary after all.

"Yes she's here, obviously...why can't I call you Jello in front of her?...She's got a fever."

"No I don-hmmm!" I tried to shout but just as soon a small hand cupped my mouth and I looked into the oceanic, blue eyes of Ryan.

"Don't be naughty, Miss Luciana."

Robinho put a finger to his lips, signalling me to hush up, before he continued speaking on the phone. "You gonna be here in ten minutes, okay...hurry up, she needs your medical attention."

I couldn't help but gape at Robinho when he said that, wondering just how much the young boy knew about things to do with 'medical attention'.

Before hanging up, I heard him ask his brother to bring their game console along when he was coming.

"Why would you tell your brother I've got a fever, when I clearly don't?"

He might as well have been brushing off his shoulders when he responded coolly, "You do have a fever and my brother goes to medicine school, so he can cure you. And you looked really, really, sad when you opened the door and saw that it wasn't Jello dropping me off."

I had no response and Robinho knowing this had a victorious smirk on his face.

Seventeen minutes later the doorbell rang, I bounced off the couch ready to open the door and tell Angelo that there had been a slight misunderstanding.

"One day you're going to thank us for this, Lucy!" I heard my brother shout from behind me as I reached for the door knob.

That's when I realised that they had purposely set this, 'Oh-Lucy-you-don't-look-well' bull. No wonder they were congregated earlier like they were in a secret society planning evil, and indeed they were.

"You...!" I pointed at my brother and his friends at how mischievous they could be but not able to find the appropriate words for the bad chipmunks.

A loud impatient knock, reminded me that Angelo was still out there in the freezing cold. I opened the door to be met with frosty dark eyes that somehow still managed to look yum and make my heart automatically react.

"Shouldn't it be your boyfriend on call for duty instead of me?"

For a moment I didn't know what to say as I watched fresh, ice crystals fall elegantly on the curved tip of his nose, his cheeks were lightly flushed pink and his lips, damn they looked so tender and sweet and - my hormones needed some serious calming down at that moment.

Clearing my throat from those unnecessary thoughts and pretending not to hear what he had said, I opened the door wider. "I think it's best you come in before you catch a cold."

After wiping the snow off his leather boots on the doormat he silently stepped inside the house taking a quick look around before he located his brother and the others watching TV.

"Guys, here's your stuff," he said handing the game console bag to his brother, "Luciana and I are gonna go talk upstairs. No eavesdropping, no peeping."

Not even saying a word to me, he went past me and up the stairs, which was my queue to follow. After showing him into my room, he shut the door as I turned on the light. Walking over to my bed I sat comfortably as I could, given the situation, whilst he sat a little way from me on my desk chair.

I couldn't even look at Angelo - he made me feel so out of place in my own place. The chance for me to finally fix things had arrived yet I found myself not knowing what to say. In other situations, I probably would have been excited at the fact that it was the first time a guy who wasn't my father or brother had entered my room, but the timing was just wrong.

"Why call me?"

"I didn't call you, your brother did."

"So you got my brother to call me?"

"And why would I do that?"

"Apparently you got the fever for me."

"Please stop being so delusional," I replied rolling my eyes at him.

"That's a nice look you got there, going for something new?"

I had totally forgotten about the earlier events of the night and I wished then that the Buttbag would have seen me with my snot bubble rather than ketchup and mayonnaise smudged face. My already low self-esteem took an instant dive as I desperately looked for tissue by my bedside.

Luckily I found some and I wiped the mess from my face - the best I could.

"You're the first person I've found so incredibly hard to resist."

I froze midway wiping my cheeks at hearing Angelo's voice so low and rugged which equalled to deeply sexy and equated to my heart beating a quadruplet of times.

Oxygen was challenging to inhale as I braved facing him. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Avoiding eye contact with me, he sighed in frustration as he combed his hands through his hair. "I've managed to stay a virgin for so long and I still intend to wait until marriage but...you make it hard, no pun intended, for me to want to."

Taking a breather, I carefully watched as he slowly paced up to me looking in every way like a hungered lion ready to pounce. Feeling his proximity too intimate I found myself leaning back until I lay flat on my bed and he just followed suit.

I grew even more self-conscious as I took a whiff of myself and smelt the shit that my brother and his friends had poured on me and I prayed I didn't smell too disgusting for Angelo.

Mere inches away from me, he didn't flinch the slightest, we studied each other's faces silently for brief moments our breaths fusing together, until he spoke in the lowest of voices. "Is there a key I need to know about that has already had access to my house?"

Unable to form words in the state I was, I shook my head to say no, smirking I watched as he dipped his head further down and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me but instead they ended up at the soft crinkle of my ears where I felt his lips graze over them. "When the time is right we are going to create love, I promise you that, but you need to admit to yourself what you're fighting so hard not to. Stop allowing other people's bullshit to penetrate your head."

With that he sprang up the bed with a random smile on his face before saying goodnight and walking out, leaving me on my own with a collapsed heart and no sign of breathing, thinking:

I've definitely got the fever.